Berrying shrubs

Shrubs with brilliantly-coloured berries are a real asset to the winter garden. They'll shine from the border when there's little else around, and their generous loads of fruit bring in birds from miles around.

Here are our top five berrying shrubs from the range in our garden centre:

Beauty bush (Callicarpa bodinieri): clusters of downy lilac flowers in mid-summer are followed by dense clusters of jewel-like violet blue berries. Grows to about 2m.

Skimmia japonica: sprays of frothy white flowers in late spring are only followed by 8mm bright red berries if you've got both female and male plants. 50cm x 50cm

Firethorn (Pyracantha): comes with red, orange or yellow berries and much-loved by birds, pyracantha can be trained in tiers against a wall for a colourful and architectural winter feature. To 1.5m tall.

Pheasant berry (Leycesteria formosa): bamboo-like green canes and tassels of claret-coloured blooms give way to glossy purple berries ripening in late autumn. Height is 1.8m.

Spindle (Euonymus alatus): one of our most spectacular native shrubs, the curious corky winged bark carries reddish-purple four-lobed fruits, opening to reveal brilliant orange seeds. Grows to about 2m.

Please ask the staff in our garden centre in Newcastle upon Tyne for more information and advice about choosing shrubs which have berries.